Above: Alan Greenlee (middle), vice president of One Economy California, helps to launch a project in San Ysidro, CA that will provide free broadband access to roughly 900 households in this border city.

SAN DIEGO  The Internet is something many of us take for granted. But for families in San Ysidro, it’s considered a luxury. Now a new project is bridging the digital divide in this border city.

Two housing projects with roughly 900 families in this border city are now equipped with free broadband access.

Casa Familiar, San Diego County's Office of Education, 1Economy, and AT&T helped to bring the free connection into homes.

Isabella Cepeda said her family has never had Internet access.

“We have a computer but we don’t have money to pay for Internet service,” she said. “Now when my son has homework, he can do it at home instead of waiting in line for a computer at the library.”

Data show the majority of families in San Ysidro live at or below the poverty line. Close to 60 percent of residents don't have a high school diploma.

Organizers say the free service will expose adults and kids to research and information that most of us take for granted.

A group of tech savvy students will help the new users get up-to-speed. San Ysidro high school senior Carla Hernandez, who does have Internet access at home, says this makes life a lot easier for her neighbors.

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